Oh, the enduring allure of fried chicken. Trends come and go, but fried chicken remains. With its crispy-crunchy outer coating and savory juiciness inside, the dish easily adapts to the times, finding popularity peaks, but never falling out of favor. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, a study by DoorDash revealed that chicken tenders and the fried chicken sandwich accounted for two of the top three most-ordered dishes. Two years later, amid the quick-service sector’s “chicken sandwich wars,” Eater created a Fast Food Chicken Bracket to pit top contenders against one another.

And still, diners beckon for new, tantalizing fried chicken options. With solid consumer demand and undeniable staying power, fried chicken remains a worthwhile category in which to invest time and creativity. Here, we explore four key areas of innovation by viewing proven approaches through a modern lens.

1

Find Value in Versatile Formats

Whether bone-in pieces, tenders, whole-muscle nuggets or boneless breast/thigh meat, fried chicken can extend its menu reach from fast food to fine dining. And now is an opportune time for operators to showcase the value of fried chicken’s versatility across menu categories—and to inject a bit of global panache.

Appetizers, hearty sandwiches, tacos and entrées combining both fried and roasted bird are prime areas for exploration. Roister in Chicago exemplifies this trend with its namesake dish featuring flaky fried chicken thigh, roasted chicken breast, chamomile, gravy and hot sauce.

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma City, Kitchen No. 324 takes an unconventional approach in the Famous Fried Chicken Pot Pie. The pot pie includes the usual suspects (chicken breast, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme), but it’s cooked in a creamy sherry base with a biscuit crust and a crispy fried chicken leg as the topper.

Try This

• Japanese Chicken & Shrimp Snacker Basket: karaage-style fried chicken thigh pieces + yuzu-salted tempura shrimp + Sapporo lager cream cheese queso dipper
• Spicy Southern Fried Chicken Sub: spicy fried chicken breast cutlet + shredded romaine + grated cheddar + candied jalapeños + peach comeback sauce + hoagie
• Crispy Chile-Lime Chicken Taco: chile-lime-seasoned fried chicken tenders + pickled jicama slaw + chorizo gravy + candied pepitas + fresh corn tortillas
• Italian Cozy Chicken: baked tomato risotto + Parmesan-garlic-fried chicken breast paillard + lemon-dressed arugula salad topper

2

Refresh the Fried Chicken Sandwich

Amid the chicken sandwich wars and the explosion of Nashville hot varieties, it can feel as though the fried chicken sandwich category is tapped out. But that’s far from true. Yes, the bar has been raised, but that only serves to turn out even more inventive builds. Operators who use boneless fried chicken breast or thigh as the anchor have free rein to play around with the sandwich’s other, often overlooked components.

The Budlong Southern Chicken in Chicago serves a Picnic Chicken Sandwich that’s true to its name. The hand-breaded fried chicken breast (or thigh) comes with a choice of six flavorings, potato salad, Cajun seasoning, bacon, mayo and pickles—all on a bun. Explore subtle flavor and ingredient adjustments within each of the primary sandwich components for a signature build.

Carriers
While brioche, split-top and potato buns hold court, look to the emergence of textured buns that add mouthfeel and flavor, such as pretzel buns, no-knead chewy rolls and round-shaped croissant buns. Flour tortilla wraps could also be transformed into embossed, marbled or colored renditions. And as interest in masa flour grows, a folded memela could become the hot new handheld for fried chicken. The humble biscuit remains a timeless comfort option, too.

Cheese
Classic melting cheeses rule the roost, but menu developers can level up with smoke-infused cheese slices, marbled blends, large-shaved stylings, spreadable or whipped cheese, and creamy queso variations. Or, take a wholly unorthodox approach and coat a fried chicken breast in snow cheese (a mixture of cheese, milk, onion and garlic powders) for maximum flavor and a crave-inducing visual.

Produce
Leaf lettuce and tomato have long checked the obligatory “freshness” box, but operators can bring much-needed diversity via lollo rosso lettuce leaves or a specific variety of tomato. Alternative produce options could include turmeric-caramelized onions, slaws, creamy salads or a Southern-inspired street corn relish.

Pickles
The tangy salinity punch and texture from pickles are core components of fried chicken sandwiches. Future iterations may see pickles infused with the likes of fresh habanero peppers, ranch or taco seasonings, or even sweet, tart fruits. Spiced fresh watermelon or mango slivers, or pickled red grapes would be unexpected, delightful alternatives.

Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise or aïoli is a prerequisite spread for fried chicken sandwiches. Add stealthy complexity by blending in a touch of dried shrimp paste, fish sauce or white miso. Or, create a signature pepperoni-Kalamata tapenade aïoli for an Italian-inspired fried chicken sandwich.

3

Brine, Spice and Batter Up

Whether operators opt for the convenience and consistency of prepared, value-added chicken or marinate and batter/bread in-house, flavor enhancements play a critical role in elevating the overall fried chicken taste experience. Restaurants that layer spices, employ flavor-packed marinades or mix up their batter can satisfy an array of traditional and modern consumer tastes by creating flavor depth that oozes culinary complexity. In Los Angeles, Badmaash spice-batters its fried chicken, double fries and dusts it in paprika masala, and serves it with a serrano cream sauce.

Brines, Marinades and Flavor Deepeners: There is a world beyond buttermilk, filled with applications that infuse flavor, retain moisture, tenderize and weave in a compelling flavor story.

• Brine in hot sauce (or chile-purée) buttermilk
• Brine in sweet tea
• Brine in kimchi juice or dill pickle juice
• Marinate in spiced yogurt
• Marinate in Hawaiian huli huli sauce
• Pre-cook in flavored coconut milk before frying
• Pre-cook in flavored broth before frying
• Smoke before frying

Batters/Breading: Whether lightly breaded, battered in the traditional Southern style or double-fried, coatings are critical to nailing fried chicken’s crunch.

• Seasoned all-purpose flour or rice flour
• Seasoned flour-cornstarch mixture
• Cornstarch slurry (Korean style)
• Potato starch
• Coarse breadcrumbs
• Homestyle-battered, sous vide–cooked before frying

Spice Dustings and Oil Flavorings: Finishing fried chicken with a blast of spices or flavored oil delivers customized seasoning.

• Vadouvan French curry powder
• Chinese five-spice powder and fresh-chopped Thai basil
• Coffee-chipotle-sweet onion powder dust with brown sugar
• Chile oil drizzled over fried chicken
• Fried chicken brushed with flavored oil (or whipped tallow), then dusted with a spice blend
• Chicken fried in beef fat then sprinkled with a brown sugar–spice blend

Brighteners: Don’t overlook the delectable simplicity of offering diners a fresh lime or lemon wedge to squeeze over their fried chicken.

4

Finish in Glazed Glory

Symbiotic pairings of savory fried chicken with contemporary sauces, glazes and butters capitalize on increasing the popularity of fried chicken menu items. Fresh, flavor-packed sauces provide harmonizing contrasts, while dollops of whipped butter and glazes lusciously coat fried crevices, deepening textural appeal. For example, Smashburger’s Mango Habanero Crispy Chicken Sandwich features crispy chicken breast smothered in mango habanero sauce and topped with lettuce and mayonnaise on a soft sweet bun.

Heat-Spiked Tropical Sauces

• Thai chile-coconut-charred pineapple sauce
• Spicy tamarind barbecue sauce
• Caribbean-gingered, pumpkin-habanero hot sauce

Reimagined Creamy Sauces

• Sambal-spiked Alabama white sauce
• Fry Sauce (all pureéed: spicy giardiniera with some of its liquid, mayonnaise, ketchup)
• Apple butter–smoked bacon soubise

Vibrant Sauces

• Green romesco (pistachio-charred, tomatillo-roasted serrano)
• Floral-spiked herb pesto
• Avocado-kale chimichurri

Infused Glazes

• Honey + soy sauce + black garlic purée
• Maple-pecan chile crisp
• Molasses + gochujang + orange juice
• Sorghum syrup + grain mustard + blackberry

Whipped Butter

• Chicken schmaltz barbecue butter
• Truffled buffalo butter
• Everything spice ranch butter